


Dammit, Dean, I'm a Hunter, not a Kidnapper

by heart_attackles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel is 19, Castiel is human, Kidnapping, M/M, Mentions of past self harm, Polyamory, hunters lacking morals, kissing Winchesters, some homophobic language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2018-09-03 09:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8707360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heart_attackles/pseuds/heart_attackles
Summary: When Castiel imagined finally escaping his judgmental family, this really isn't how he saw things going.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty sure I read a prompt for this somewhere but I've got no idea where. Probably Tumblr. Also, I'm open to ideas on this title, because I really do not know, friends.
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> Disclaimer: Unless impossible 11:11 wishes are coming true, these boys do not and never will belong to me.

Sam and Dean are hunters just like any other; maybe they're a little less morally driven, but so what? Sleeping with your brother sort of makes you a little less obligated to follow society's "right and good path," it would seem. So maybe they steal a thing or two now and then. And so maybe they robbed a bank that one time. They save the world enough with no recognition for it, they feel it's okay to take back a little in return. And Sam will admit that maybe the whole bank robbery thing was a little over the line, but Dean will insist that they needed a vacation, and besides no one really got hurt, so what's the big deal? And Dean is starting to think that another vacation is in order. Sam, of course, can never tell his brother no, so that's how they got into this situation.

Sam recognized the kid first. His innocent comment surely wasn't supposed to turn his brother into some kind of kidnapping mastermind. "Hey, isn't that the president's son?"

Dean glanced up from his phone for only a short moment before going back. After another second he seemed to register Sam's words, because his head shot up quickly once again. "How do you know?"

Sam shrugged, eyes following the kid as he walked past the Impala leisurely. "I saw him on the news the other day. He got kicked out of his school or something. It looks like him, but wouldn't he have some sort of security? Maybe it isn't him." 

Dean eyed the boy closely until he walked into the library they had just left. As soon as the kid was out of view, Dean went back to his phone more urgently than before. "It _is_ him." He announced after a moment; he angled his phone to Sam to show an article with a picture of the young man. Castiel Novak, youngest son of President Michael Novak. 

Sam scanned the article before his eyes drifted back to his brother's. Dean's grin was disconcertingly gleeful. "Dean? Why do you look like that?"

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean's dreamy eyes found the entrance to the library where the kid had just disappeared. 

"Obviously not, considering I don't look like I'm about to jizz myself." Sam stated plainly; he couldn't help but allow a chuckle to bubble over when his brother paused from his daydreaming to shoot him an angry glare. "What are you thinking?"

Dean grudgingly averted his eyes back to the large doors. "Thinking I found out how we're gonna get our next vacation."

Sam sighed and leaned back in the passenger's seat. "Last time you wanted a vacation you made me rob a bank."

"Yeah, but how fun was Vegas?" Dean responded nostalgically. 

"You lost almost all the money we stole." Sam reminded him blankly and earned yet another glare. 

"Yeah, well, it was fun while it lasted," Dean grumbled, "but that's why we need more." 

"And just how do you expect to get any money from this kid?"

"Not him. The president. We're gonna ransom his son." Dean concluded proudly. 

Sam didn't speak for a moment. He did think that kidnapping was a little low, even for them. And that was if they could even get away with it. This was the President of the freaking United States. They couldn't just steal his youngest son. This was a big step up from picking up a couple grand from a bank where there was no doubt that they would both make it out okay. Sam voiced his doubts to his brother. 

"Yeah, but look," Dean gestured around to the street. "He has no body guards. There's an alley right there by the library, and this street is not busy at all. We can just grab him, and have him back in Kansas by morning. We can hold him there until the initial shit storm blows over, then send Mr. Whitehouse a ransom note. 

Sam stared. "How did you think this through so fast? Or, better yet, why?" 

Dean looked away, full bottom lip sticking out slightly in a pout. "Vegas owes me."

Sam gave an epic eye roll before sighing. "I'm still not sure about this, Dean? This is serious. We can't just kidnap the president's son in the spur of the moment like this."

Dean turned a seductive smirk towards Sam; his hand reached over and landed high on his brother's thigh. "Com'n, Sammy. I can make it worth your while."

Sam looked down at the hand that was sliding up his leg alluringly. He raised his eyes to meet Dean's sexy gaze and he never could argue with that look. "Fine."

"Yes!" Dean cheered and leaned over to give Sam's lips a short smack with his own. He slung open the driver's door and got out of the car quickly. He rushed around and dug in the trunk for a moment; Sam sat watching the library closely. Dean rejoined him in the front seat shortly after with hand-cuffs and a T-shirt with a knot tied in it, presumably to throw over Castiel's head. 

"So, what's the plan?" Sam asked tiredly. 

"The library will be closing soon, so we won't have to wait long. When he comes out, we can shove him into the alley there. If there's anybody in the street when he comes, then we'll just have to follow him. Hopefully to somewhere secluded. We'll just grab him, bag him, and cuff him. Once we get him into the car, we'll be golden. Swing by the motel, I'll grab our stuff and we'll be home bound." Dean finished triumphantly.

"Yeah, what about this case?"

"If there _is_ a case," Dean grumbled, tone going argumentative, "we'll get someone else on it. I'm not sure that even is one." Sam sighed, but didn't respond. There was no point in restarting an argument about a case they were abandoning. "So, now we just wait." Dean informed, getting himself comfortable for the stake out. 

Sam grudgingly sank further into his seat. He wouldn't lie and say he thought this was a good idea. He wasn't sure if they could really pull this off, but he wasn't quite as worried after hearing that Dean's plan involved going back to the bunker. He also liked that they wouldn't be sending a ransom note in the middle of a huge police investigation. Sam could accept that that was a good move despite his displeasure at the idea as a whole. They weren't kidnappers. How were they supposed to keep the keep Castiel for so long without him figuring out something crucial to identifying them when they sent him back home. There were a lot of holes Sam would like to have filled, but he supposed that he could just let his brother be satisfied with his plan for now. They could work the rest out later. 

They waited silently in the car for another twenty minutes before someone opened the library doors -- and then locked them before leaving. Sam looked at Dean to find his own worry reflected there. "We didn't miss him, did we?" Dean spoke up. 

"No way," Sam replied assuredly, "I was watching the door the whole time you were in the trunk. If he hasn't gone out a back door somewhere, then he's definitely still in there." Sam turn his eyes book to the library doors. 

"Should we go in after him?"

"I don't think so. If there are any cameras in there, we'll be screwed." Sam reasoned. 

Dean was starting to look hopeless, admitting defeat was not something either of them liked to do, especially if doing so was also kissing a trip to Vegas goodbye. Dean sighed and reached forward to crank the Impala when the library doors started to shake violently. Dean stopped short and turned gleeful eyes to his brother. "He's locked in."

"I just want to make sure you know how creepy you are."

"Shut the fuck up." Dean grouched good-naturedly. "This makes our job so much easier."

Sam's attention was still on the building. "Unless he does that." The window nearest a tall tree was being pushed open from the inside. 

"Shit." Dean said as they saw a backpack fall the six or so feet to the grass below. "Get ready to follow him." Dean threw the cuffs and T-shirt into his lap as the kids stretched to step onto the tree. This really wasn't the day for Castiel Novak, however. The branch he trusted his weight to turned out to be not very trustworthy at all. It snapped and there was a loud yelp and a thud before Sam and Dean could fully grasp what had happened. They were quiet for only a moment. "Well, he's dead." Dean concluded, reaching for the keys again. 

"Dean!" Sam snapped. He gave his brother a reprimanding look before opening his door to check on the clumsy boy. 

"You know I was just joking, right?" Sam rolled his eyes even though he knew Dean wouldn't have actually left the kid like that. 

The boy was unconscious when Sam got to him, but Sam could see his chest rising and falling so he hadn't managed to knock the life out of himself. But he did make the easiest kidnapping gig in history. Sam picked up the back pack to sling over his shoulder before scooping the kid up gently. He tried to be mindful of any injuries that Castiel may have cause himself, but the boy seemed to be fine. He must've just hit his head pretty hard. Dean jumped out to open the back door for them, and Sam slid his tall frame into the car carefully pulling their young captive inside along with him. 

Dean got back into the car and pulled them easily from their parking spot while Sam locked the handcuffs onto Castiel's slim wrists. He pulled a flashlight from under the seat and checked the boy's pupils the best he could from their position. When he was satisfied that the kid didn't have a concussion, he slid the hood over his head and let the young man relax against his chest. Sam was being forced to sit sideways across the back seat by his long legs, so this was the best position for both of them. They stopped at their motel and Dean ran in and grabbed their things in record time. When they pulled out, Sam sank down into the door and let himself become comfortable with the weight on his chest. He reached his arm up to rest on the back of the front seat where he could lay his hand on his brother's shoulder casually. Kansas was far away; Sam settled for a long trip.


	2. Chapter 2

Cas woke up warm. 

He didn't actually remember going to sleep, but, for just a moment, he never wanted to wake up. It was just for a moment, however, as he realized he was definitely sleeping against someone else. As comfortable as they were, he didn't know who he would be sleeping on. 

"He's waking up." Vibrations from the deep voice behind him sent chills over Cas's body. He jerked forward quickly, but was caught by the arm and pulled back to land harshly against the firm chest. He took a moment to realize that it was still dark when he opened his eyes; there was fabric covering his head and his hands were trapped behind his back. Needless to say, he was starting to panic. "Calm down, Castiel," the voice said soothingly. "No one's gonna hurt you unless you make us." Cas was sure that was meant to be a threat, and it scared him despite the lack of heat backing the words. 

"We're only about twenty miles out," said an even deeper voice from somewhere in front of him. "Not much longer now."

"Good," the one behind him responded. "My back hates you right now." The man adjusted in the seat, pulling Cas closer to him as he tried to make himself more comfortable. Cas tried his best to gather his wits with most of his senses blocked out and the presence behind him taking all of his attention. He could work out that they were in a car, and he was pretty sure there were only two of them.

"Aw, baby, need a message?" The deeper voice whined mockingly.

"Oh, shut up, or I really will make you give me one." The other growled back playfully. 

"Promises, promises, baby boy. You know all you'd have to do is ask nicely." The driver chuckled darkly. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again. "You doing okay back there, Castiel?"

Cas didn't know how he was supposed to respond. He was starting to calm down, and he didn't get the feeling that he was actually in any immediate danger. He had still been kidnapped, however, so he was pretty sure that was not the feeling that he should be projecting. "What are you going to do with me?" He spoke his first words shakily. 

The man sighed and the one behind him moved to touch his bicep comfortingly. "We just want a trade. You've done nothing wrong, and we don't want to hurt you. You'll be taken care of until your dad cooperates." 

Cas tensed up. His dad? His dad wouldn't cooperate! He couldn't let them know that, though. These psychos would probably kill him if they found out that there was no way they'd be getting money out of this ransom. He had to play along until he could get away. Before he could respond, the driver spoke again. 

"We're here." The car came to a stop, and the engine died. "Castiel, stay here, and we're gonna be right back." The front door of the car opened, and the man behind him pushed him carefully up into a sitting position. The door behind him opened, and the man got out carefully; Cas could feel all of their attention on him to see if he would make a move. He didn't. He wouldn't. He wasn't a fighter, but that didn't mean he was giving up. He was pretty sure that he wasn't in any danger at the moment, so he could bide his time and wait to make his escape. 

Sam got out of the car and walked around to lock the doors. He took one last look at Castiel before going to meet Dean where he was standing out of the boy's earshot. "So, what are you thinking?" Sam asked, since this was still Dean's kidnapping gig. He was the man with the plan. Even if it wasn't a very good plan. 

"We can just leave him in the dungeon, right?"

"Dean, we can't just leave him in the _dungeon!"_

"Why not?" He actually looked confused.

"Well, first of all, he's just a kid. The dungeon is for _monsters,_ Dean. Also, he's gonna be here for at least a month if we're waiting to send the note. Probably more. He's the president's son. I imagine the investigation will be big news for a while." Sam pointed out.

"So, we'll keep him in your old bedroom. How are we going to keep him from seeing us?" Dean asked smugly, happy to get back at Sam for shooting his plan down. Even if he knew it was a bad plan; that wasn't relevant. 

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. "Well, we still have those masks from your brilliant bank robbery." 

Dean grinned, "I knew keeping those would be a good idea." 

Sam wondered how many times he could roll his eyes before he got a lazy eye or something; his brother would surely make him find out. "Okay, smart stuff, you'll still have to go pick up a lock to put on the outside of the door. I'll put him in the room for now, and make sure he's comfortable." 

"Not too comfortable, though, Sammy. We're still the kidnappers here." Dean reminded him.

"I'm not a kidnapper; you're a kidnapper. I'm a victim here, too." Sam argued.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say, kidnapper." He slapped his brother's ass playfully as he walked back to the car. "I'm gonna go pick up the lock. You calm him down." 

He unlocked the door to get into the car and noticed Castiel nearly bust his head on the glass to get to the opposite side of the car. "Whoa. You okay, kid?"

Cas had tried to listen in to what the men were saying. They were too far away for him to catch very much of their conversation, but one word did stick out from the rest: dungeon. These guys were more psychotic than he'd thought to have a freaking dungeon on hand to keep nineteen-year-old boys in. Ideas of him not being a fighter fled his mind, because he had to fight. He had to get away from these two.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam couldn't figure out what had changed so quickly in their captive. One second he was calmly waiting in the car for one of them to retrieve him, and then the next he was panic stricken. Castiel was doing everything he could to stay as far away from either of them. Sam raised his eyebrows and shrugged when Dean sent him a questioning look. 

He took advantage of the kid's inability to see him, and went around the car to open the door the boy was leaning against. Sam was ready to catch Castiel when he inevitably fell backwards out of the back seat, but he couldn't quite get a grip with the way he was kicking to get out of Sam's grasp. He landed on the ground painfully with his neck bent awkwardly and his lower half still on the back seat. Even in his unfortunate position, he didn't give up fighting anything and everything that was touching him. Sam noted the angle of the boys wrists in the cuffs; they looked like they were about to snap. Sam reached down to settle the boy, "Come on, baby, you're going to hurt yourself." Castiel flinched away from the hunter's touch and cried out in pain as it put pressure on his frail wrist. Sam knew he had to stop him from squirming, so he could get the poor boy upright. "Castiel! Stop!" He yelled angrily. 

The young man froze with a whimper; Sam felt bad for scaring the kid, but he would rather have Castiel terrified of him than hurting himself. Sam got an arm around the boy's back to lift his tense form off of the ground and fully out of the car. 

Sam closed the car door and looked up to where Dean had walked back around the front of the car. "You can go ahead and go to town. I've got him."

Dean stepped closer to Sam so he could lay his hand on the base of his brother's neck. "Are you sure?" He leaned forward and placed a casual parting kiss on the taller man's lips; even as he asked, he knew Sam had this situation under control. When Sam confirmed this, Dean got back in the car and drove off in the direction of town. 

Sam diverted his attention back to his frightened captive. Castiel was still tense and shaking, but he seemed to be really focused on Sam. "You okay, now?" Sam asked.

Castiel was still and said nothing. 

Sam sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll take you inside for now, though. Maybe you'll feel better when you get comfortable. You have to be still, or you really are going to hurt yourself."

Cas began to shake his head frantically. "No, please, no!" He was brought back to himself quickly at the mention of being taken inside; the two had caught him off guard because he was sure they had just kissed over him. 

"We're still not gonna hurt you, sweetheart?" Sam drawled as softly as he could. "We have to keep you with us until we can talk to your dad." He began to walk to the stairs that led down into the bunker. 

Cas made himself as small as possible in the giant man's arms. "Don't put me in the dungeon, please?" he begged weakly.

Sam sighed and cursed Dean silently. "We aren't keeping you in the dungeon, Castiel." He gave the boy's body a reassuring squeeze as they reached the base of the stairs; he thought he felt Castiel relax a fraction in his hold. "We have a bedroom for you. A real one with a bed and a TV and everything." Sam chuckled. "Now, look, I have to put you down to unlock the door. You promise you're gonna stay still? If you run, I promise you that I will catch you. I like being a nice guy, Castiel, but I don't have to be, understand?"

"Yes, I understand." Castiel said calmly. Sam had honestly expected more reaction from his threat; maybe the kid was only afraid of dungeons. Sam bent to place Castiel's feet on the ground, and kept his arm around the teenager's waist until he steadied himself. Sam kept his attention on Castiel as he unlocked the door, but the boy didn't move an inch. Sam really couldn't make sense of the boy's actions. He knew he himself would be no where near this calm if he had been abducted. Unless maybe he was planning something. Castiel didn't seem like he would be able to stay calm if he had any ideas of escape. Still, Sam knew not to underestimate the kid. 

He pushed the door open and grabbed Castiel's upper arm to pull him inside. He closed and locked the door behind them and turned back to Castiel. "I'm going to pick you up again to carry you down the stairs. Ready?" Castiel nodded and braced himself as Sam lifted him bridal style once again. 

Cas really didn't know what to think of this whole situation. These guys had to be dangerous. You don't just kidnap people and have dungeons on hand if you aren't dangerous. But Cas had yet to have the feeling that he was in any real danger when being addressed by his captors. This one had threatened him twice now, but somehow Cas knew that he wouldn't be harmed. Maybe that just went to show how fucked up he really was. Being the president's gay son wasn't enough for him, obviously, he had to go and enjoy being kidnapped as well. His dad was gonna think this was rich when he found out. He almost wished these guys would even believe him if he told them his dad wouldn't give up a cent for him; maybe that would prevent them from telling him in the first place. That would sure spare him some embarrassment.

Cas was pulled out of the thoughts of what his dad would have to say to him right now, by his large kidnapper placing him on a soft surface. "Don't move." The man said; Cas followed the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor to track his movements. They got quieter as the man moved to what Cas assumed was the next room for only a second before he returned just as quickly. Cas hadn't moved, of course. It wasn't like he could navigate with this bag over his head and his hands bound even if he did try. "Alright, Castiel, I'm gonna take off the hood," he was warned even as the man was already grabbing the top of the cloth and lifting. His eyes were flooded with light; Cas felt like he had been in that darkness for days. The first thing he was able to focus on was, obviously, the fucking giant standing in front of him. Cas's sitting position brought his face to the height of the man's waist. He looked up and up until he could see the man's full frame. He was only half surprised by the black ski mask that was covering the man's face. More surprising, though, -- or maybe it was less surprising considering how Cas had been feeling around this man -- was the kindness he could see in the beautiful hazel eyes that weren't covered like the rest of his face. Cas took in the rest of the muscular frame and gulped; if this man wanted to do him harm he certainly could have by now, and that made Cas feel better. He supposed he should have realized that sooner by how easily he had been lifted and carried around. 

"You alright?" The man asked. How long had Cas been staring at him? Cas nodded, quickly looking down at the ground. The man seemed satisfied, and stepped closer to Cas. "Let me take these cuffs off for you. Remember, no funny business." Cas was amazed that this man could think he would still try anything after getting a good look at him. This man could break him in half.

Cas relaxed the instant he felt his hands freed. "Better?" The man's deep voice was so kind; Cas didn't think his captor would stop surprising him.

Being able to pull his hands to the front of his body felt better than Cas ever imagined it could. He nodded, "Thank you." 

Castiel rubbed his wrists soothingly. Sam could see that they were red, but he hoped they wouldn't be too badly bruised. Castiel's hand stopped moving when he noticed the smallest amount of blood on his fingers. "You're hurt." Sam grabbed his hand gently, stooping down and turning it to examine where the handcuffs had bitten into his skin.

"My fault." Castiel told him quietly. "Happened when I fell out of the car."

"Well, let's get it patched up for you. You didn't sprain it, did you?"

"No, just the cut." Castiel assured him. Sam nodded and stood up from his squatting position. He looked at Castiel for just a moment before leaving to retrieve the first aid kit from his and Dean's room. 

Cas watched the man leave him on the bed without a word. He was right that this man would not stop surprising him. The cut was so small, he hadn't even noticed it at first. He was sure it didn't even warrant a band-aid, but apparently his captor thought differently as he reentered the room with a whole first aid kit. 

Sam took a seat next to Castiel on the bed; the kid slid closer to him as the mattress dipped with his weight. Sam reached out, and Castiel presented his hand willingly. Sam cupped his captive's hand gently, and picked up the alcohol wipe he'd just opened. "This'll sting." He warned before wiping the cut softly.

Castiel tensed for a moment but relaxed again as the pain passed. Sam dabbed some antesptic onto Castiel's wrist and then reached for the gauze to wrap it. He stopped short, however, when he turned the boy's wrist and caught sight of the scars marring the smooth underside of Castiel's forearm. He glanced up quickly to find the boy pointedly avoiding his gaze. Sam studied him for a long moment but decided it would be better not to question the boy; he finished wrapping his wrist and tapped the gauze firmly. "There, all good now."

Castiel's hand immediately went to cover the old parallel scars Sam had found. "Thank you." He said quietly. 

There was a long awkward silence, and Sam really wanted to escape it. He knew he couldn't leave Castiel alone until Dean got back, so he was thankful when Castiel spoke up. "So... am I allowed to ask your name?"

Sam chuckled, "I don't think so. We didn't talk about that, but I'm sure my brother would advise against that."

"Your brother?" Castiel gasped. 

Sam blushed and looked away, remembering too late that Castiel had probably realized that Dean had kissed him earlier before leaving. "Uh...yeah." So much for escaping the awkward silence.

"How long am I gonna be here?" Castiel finally spoke again.

Sam sighed. "We'll let you go as soon as we can. We just need the money from your dad." Sam had to admit that he did feel bad about all this. They were terrifying this poor kid all for the sake of a vacation. Sam knew how much Dean loved Vegas, though, so he was able to push the negative feelings away. Plus, considering the scars on Castiel's arm didn't look all that old, maybe it was good that the boy would be somewhere Sam knew he was safe. Did that really count if Castiel didn't believe he was safe, though? "Hey, look." Sam waited for Castiel to look him in the eyes. It was a bit awkward trying to have a conversation with this ski mask, but Dean insisted. "You know we aren't going to hurt you, right?" The hunter asked when Castiel met his gaze. "We aren't bad guys. We're really good guys, actually. That's probably hard to believe, but you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You're gonna be okay while you're with us." 

Cas believed him. Maybe he was as insane as his captors, but he trusted the man's words. He gave him a small smile and a nod. 

"Wanna watch TV?" Sam asked, reaching for the remote. Castiel stayed where he was while Sam moved to lay against the pillows at the headboard. It had been a long time since he'd been in this bed, but he got comfortable while the two of them waited for Dean to return with the lock.


	4. Chapter 4

Cas didn't think he was actually supposed to be _settling in,_ but that's exactly what he was doing. He had been here for five days now, and he was more comfortable than he had been the past five years at home. With two brothers who were in a relationship and kidnapped people.

Well not people, per say; he'd asked and they'd told him they'd never done this before. He believed them. And he wasn't holding their relationship against them either. He'd never seen anyone as happy as they were, and he knew what bad people did. Being with the person you love wasn't something that made you bad. 

Kidnapping teenagers was probably something that did, but these two were the exception to that rule apparently; Cas knew they weren't bad despite the room he was locked in. 

He had three meals a day, and the short one was an excellent cook (last night they'd even asked him to join them instead of bringing him dinner in his room). Plus, the taller brother came to watch TV with him at least once a day (usually more since they'd gotten into _Game of Thrones_ together). 

Honestly, if he thought about it too much, Cas couldn't imagine going back to live with his dad after tasting freedom like this. That was pretty ironic considering the lock on his door right now. 

Sam and Dean turned out to be not so good at being hardened kidnappers. They had been doing all they could to make Castiel comfortable during his time here. It was a bit awkward at first, but they'd both found that they quite liked the kid. Sam found him sharp as a whip; the day he'd walked into Castiel's room with a history book in his hand was the first day the young man had said more than a sentence to him. Dean, at first, had found the kid too shy and serious. He should've cut him some slack, however, because the kid was pretty funny. Apparently being kidnapped and threatened with a dungeon could dull your sense of humor. Who would have thought? Castiel still didn't get a lot of Dean's jokes, but he was learning to appreciate the hunter's sense of humor and Dean liked that. Even when Castiel and Sam shared an eye roll over one of his better puns. 

Altogether, things were going great. Which was why Dean was worried? Were they letting Castiel get too comfortable with them? The kid was likely to be there a lot longer, what if they got some reverse Stockholm Syndrome and got too attached to the boy? He knew that if he was starting to think he'd miss the kid, Sam would be worse. He especially knew Sam was already worried about sending the kid back home; his brother had told him what he'd discovered on Castiel's arm the first day he'd been here. Dean knew they couldn't afford Sam's soft-heartedness now, because you can't just keep up with people after you've kidnapped them. 

Matters were made worse by the fact that there had been no news reports covering the disappearance of the president's son. Sam wanted to wait longer to send the ransom; he was sure that the media would explode when they were sure the boy had been kidnapped. Dean figured he was stalling, because there was really no reason to wait. They were going to find out he was taken regardless. Still he'd let Sam win that battle for a couple more days. 

There were still lines he knew he couldn't let Sam cross. 

"Do we really need these? I hate them." Sam stopped behind Dean lounging in a library chair. His brother had his mask shoved up to his forehead and season two of _Game of Thrones_ on DVD in his hand. 

"Yeah, Sammy." Dean looked up at him as Sam looked over to really hit his brother with the puppy eyes. "We're getting too comfortable with him as it is."

"Come on, this is already too far from a regular kidnapping gig for this itchy thing to make a difference." A pout took over Sam's full lips. 

Dean's attention went back to his phone pointedly. "It's a good reminder that we actually did kidnap him. For him and us."

"I think the locked door is the best reminder there is." Sam countered. 

"Not when you're binge watching HBO with him. And do I smell popcorn?"

"Shut up," Sam stood up straight so he was no longer touching his lover. "Don't act like it wasn't your idea to ask him to eat dinner with us. You're just as bad as I am."

Dean sighed and stood to follow Sam into the kitchen where the microwave announced that Dean was right about the popcorn. "Look, babe, you're right. Not about the masks! Maybe we _are_ a little too easy around him. That's why we need to send his dad the note. Before we get anymore attached to him."

Sam purposely avoided looking back at him. "He's not some dog we can't keep, Dean. I'm not 'getting attached.'"

Dean huffed. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I just like having him around. I wish things didn't go the way they had. This was a bad idea, and I knew it from the start." Sam said forlornly. 

Dean stepped up to pull his brother in close. "I know. You can blame me all you want for it. And when we get the ransom we don't have to go to Vegas. We can go wherever you like, it's up to you. I won't complain a bit."

Sam sank into the soothing embrace with his face in Dean's neck. "Can we go back in time and undo this? Meet him like normal people."

Dean turned to place a kiss on his lover's temple. "No, baby, I'm sorry." He pushed Sam away softly, picking the bowl up off the counter and passing it to him. "Go watch your show; I'm gonna send the note." 

Sam took the bowl and nodded sadly. "The email I set up is ready. Just send it, and he'll be able to reply once. It's untraceable." 

Dean watched Sam slowly leave the room. He hated seeing him that way; he wished he'd never come up with this stupid plan. He sat down at the kitchen table wondering what it would've been like to meet Castiel under normal circumstances. 

***  
Dean had never seen two people that could carry on a conversation about fictional characters the way these two could. He had watched Sam and Castiel argue for nearly an hour now about who would take the Iron Throne when all the madness ended. The entirety of their dinner, any topic he'd brought up that wasn't related to _Game of Thrones_ had been shot down. Admittedly, though, it was entertaining. Until Sam let slip that he knew the character Castiel was rooting for died next season. Then things got deadly. 

"How could you do this to me?" Cas asked dramatically. He had been enjoying discussing the show over dinner. He'd never had someone to talk to like this. The only person in his house who would have a solid conversation with him to begin with was Gabriel, but his brother had never shared such passion for anything as Cas did with fiction. So this had been fun for him. Until this man ruined his life with spoilers. 

Sam hadn't meant to do it, honestly. Sure he was laughing his ass off right now, but it was one hundred percent accidental. 

"This is so not funny." Cas gasped. 

"It kinda is." Dean laughed. 

"Shut up, shorty!" Cas snapped. Sam doubled over all over again. "Stop laughing, you giant moose! You've ruined my life!" Dean's shocked expression died away as he burst out laughing at the insult. "You guys are the worst."

"Sorry, but you're cute when you're mad." Sam's breathing evened out enough to say. 

Cas's face lit up red like a fire engine. "Aww, and when you blush." Dean added. Cas blushed more. 

"You guys suck." Cas huffed and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. 

"That's no way to speak to your kidnappers, young man." Dean put on his best dad-voice. That got a chuckle out of Sam and Cas. 

"Ready to go watch the next episode?" Sam asked Cas. The boy nodded and stood. "D-- uh," he caught himself just before his brother's name escaped his mouth. Another thing Dean was persistent about. "Want to join us?" 

Dean shrugged, standing and picking up all three of their emptied plates and walked over to where Sam was still sitting. "Sure, why not? But, if I get into it," he leaned over to press a quick kiss against his lover's waiting mouth, "I'm gonna cut your balls off in your sleep." He whispered matter-of-factly. 

Sam leaned up to meet Dean's mouth a second time and chuckled low against his lips. "You'd miss them too much." He laughed loudly when Dean rolled his eyes and walked away. 

Cas blushed at witnessing the exchange. He had mixed feelings of joy and jealousy to see how much they obviously loved each other. He wanted something like that someday, but he was sure he'd never find it. Especially if his father had anything to do with it. He briefly let the memory of his father's reaction to his first crush play through his mind. He'd been too young to even know that boys didn't have crushes on other little boys. His father had taught him quickly and brutally. He wondered what his father would think of his crush(es) now. Men as well as kidnappers. Boy, was he rebellious. 

"Ready, Castiel?" The smooth voice cut through his bitter thoughts. 

"Yes." Cas smiled and followed the tall man into his room. Cas was settling into his usual spot when the shorter one walked in and gave his lover's ass a smack as he walked past and flopped onto the bed. This put him right next to Cas. Sam glared over at his brother. 

"Hey," Dean said, standing right back up after he'd laid down, "let's take this to our room. The bed's bigger." He took the DVD out of Sam's hand and motion for Castiel to follow him. 

Cas shot the other a questioning look, but only received a shrug as he picked up the DVD case and followed his brother's orders. 

Dean was inserting the first disk as Sam and Castiel each took a side of the bed. He pushed it in and hit the lights. "Scoot, you giant moose." The three of them laughed as Sam moved to the middle of the bed to allow room for Dean. It had been pointless,however, as Dean immediately wrapped himself around Sam like an octopus and only took up and inch of the bed on his own.

Castiel noticed and laughed a little; Sam gave him a what-can-you-do look as he wrapped his arm around his brother's waist to pull him even closer still. The show began to play taking Sam's whole attention. 

Cas studied the two for a moment longer, once again grasped by the feeling of jealousy. He didn't know which he was more jealous of, or if he was simply envious for what they had. He knew that wasn't the cas, though as he thought of what it would be like to have either of their arms wrapped around him. Both of their arms wrapped around him. Okay, yeah, he needed to focus on the show. And he had no idea what was going on. Was the episode almost over?!

It would've been impossible not to notice the boy's staring. It was a wonder Dean had managed to fall asleep with someone watching him so intently. Sam would've thought the attention was negative if he hadn't known better. One of the biggest reasons he felt so comfortable with Castiel was the lack of judgment around his and Dean's relationship. The kid hadn't seemed to have a problem with them from the very start. So that left him only a few ideas as to what could be on Castiel's mind. He gave the boy a knowing look and a smirk. Castiel caught his eye, blushed, and jerked his gaze back to the TV that he hadn't been and still wasn't watching. 

When the episode ended, Sam reached for the remote to turn the TV off. Dean shifted against him in his sleep in reaction to the following silence. Sam looked over to Castiel. "I'm dead tired. Let's finish the last few episodes tomorrow."

Cas nodded. "Don't watch any without me, you giant moose." He laughed, suddenly feeling very shy. 

Sam chuckled in response. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Cas hesitated only a moment before leaning over to place a kiss on Sam's cheek with lightning speed before propelling himself toward the door. 

Sam was shocked only a moment before a small smile played on his lips. "Night, Cas." He settled in with his lover, kissing Dean's relaxed lips sweetly as he heard the boy's door close quietly. 

Cas didn't stop blushing until he fell asleep that night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter, but it's something. I've been crazy busy, and it's hard to find time to write but thanks to a certain inspiring comment I was able to make the time

Sam woke with a start as he was abruptly shoved from his warm and comfortable bed. His panic was worsened when he opened his eyes to pitch darkness; his head was covered. He went into full attack mode when he heard his confused brother call his name from atop the bed. "What's happening?" He asked hurriedly, and then was caught off guard as his vision was flooded with light. He looked up to take in Dean standing over him in his pajamas holding both of their masks, one in each hand. 

"Calm down, sleeping beauty. We fell asleep with our masks on." Dean laughed at him. 

"Oh." Sam said lamely, crawling back into bed. He didn't even wanna think about how his hair must look. 

Dean sat on the bed next to him as Sam burrowed back into the blankets. He smiled fondly when Sam let out a content sigh and reached out in invitation for his lover to join him. "I'm gonna go check on Castiel. We didn't lock his door last night."

"He's fiiiiine." Sam groaned, patting the bed vigorously. 

"I'm sure he is, but just in case." Dean chuckled and kissed Sam's forehead before leaving him alone in the bed. 

"You better come back." Sam commanded with a smirk. "I know you didn't forget what day it is."

Dean smiled back fiendishly in response to his brother's underlying meaning. Sam always managed to make his birthday better than the year before. 

***

Cas woke only the slightest bit at the sound of his door opening quietly. It closed again before he could lift his head so he assumed it was one of the brothers checking on him after not locking him in last night. He thought briefly of how he might find a way to sneak around and catch a glimpse of their faces if they made a habit of it. These thoughts orbited his mind as he drifted back into a light sleep. 

The next sound to awaken him was much more interesting, he had to admit. 

Moaning. The telltale rhythmic creak of mattress springs. "Sam!"

Cas found himself blushing despite being alone. He couldn't stop himself from listening harder. He could hear their breathy whispers and pants. He was not surprised when his own body reacted to the enticing sounds. He could only imagine what sort of site those two made. 

Cas suddenly realized himself and stopped his thoughts instantly. He was invading their privacy! He covered his ears and tried to think of anything besides what was going on next door. This was very difficult as that was all his mind wanted to stick to. He had all of the sounds on repeat in his head, and his imagination was going wild pairing them with images.

His only relief was that in those images, both men were wearing those ridiculous masks; he tried to focus on that part alone to ease his nearly painful erection. It didn't help. Even through those masks, Cas had sight of breathtaking eyes. Beautiful mouths. He could imagine those mouths gasping into each other. All over each other. All over him. 

A sudden rap on his door shocked him out of his thoughts. How long had he been laying there? When had his hand gone into his pants?! He jerked away from himself astonishingly fast, trying to right himself before he called out in a hoarse and far too forcefully casual voice. "Yes?"

The door opened enough for a mostly covered face to slide into view. "Breakfast?" The taller one asked with a smile. 

"Oh, yeah. Mhmm, definitely." Cas answered quickly, holding his comforter purposefully over his lap and not moving. 

"Um, okay." The giant laughed nervously. "You can meet us in the kitchen."

"'Kay." Cas smiled just short of hysterically before the man closed the door softly. 

Sam, his mind supplied. Cas was shocked for a moment before the name settled easily on his tongue. "Sam."

Cas leaned back to finish his business quickly before rushing to meet Sam and his brother for breakfast. 

 

***

"Happy birthday." Sam smiled down at Dean as he pushed a full plate in front of him and planted a playful kiss on top of his covered head. 

"It's your birthday?" Castiel inquired as he entered the room. Sam was momentarily taken aback by how great the kid looked with his messy bed hair. He shook himself from that train of thought quickly; there was no way he would even think of jeopardizing his relationship with Dean, so he had to distance himself. He didn't want to give Castiel any wrong ideas. 

"Yep." Dean spared the kid a friendly smile before diving back into his unhealthy amount of bacon. 

Castiel blushed and smirked. How did he even manage to look innocent when making that face? "I hear you're enjoying it so far."

Sam stopped short with Castiel's plate and his jaw dropped.

Cas couldn't tell whose face got redder. He sauntered over to take the plate from Sam, deciding he didn't care who it was intended for because he was feeling bold. "Thanks, Sam."

"Wha-? How-?" The older brother turned to Sam, his shock hadn't lessened but Sam seemed to be gathering his bearings. "You told him?"

Now Sam smirked. "I think you told him. If memory serves, you told him very loudly. Much more than once." 

Somehow, his face got redder. Cas was blushing as well, but he was more pleased than embarrassed. Something about being a part of their comfortable banter made him feel at home. Just like it felt to sit and eat breakfast with them, like they were all happy friends there by choice. And maybe it wasn't by choice, but Cas was starting to consider himself happy. He wasn't sure what position that put him in, but he didn't figure it was a good one. 

"So, why not just tell me your name then?" Castiel smirked at Dean. "Or will you make me wait for round two? I won't mind either way." Sam really couldn't fathom how this kid could look so seductive and so innocent all at once. 

"Uh, well... See, uh..." Dean stuttered. Sam had never seen his brother so flustered. Seeing Mr. Seduction tripping over his words for this kid sort of made Sam feel less guilty about his own attraction. And it gave Sam ample opportunity to tease his older brother mercilessly. 

"What's the matter, Dean, cat got your tongue?" Sam chuckled smugly before stopping dead with the realization of what had just come out of his mouth. Dean glared at him with no real heat. 

"Sam and Dean, is it?" Castiel appeared pleased as pie with his new discovery. "Those names suit you."

"Nice going, Sam." Dean whined. 

"Hey, you started it!"

Cas settled in happily as the two started a brotherly badinage. In the peacefulness of this accidental domesticity, he was struck with the thought that he didn't want to leave. The idea had played around his mind out of his grasp, but now it solidified into a fairy tale image of how things could be if he stayed. He wanted to stay. 

***

Gabriel entered his father's office unannounced for the second time that day. The first time he'd been persistently waved off. All of his questions about his brother's whereabouts were disregarded with a response about how Castiel was old enough to move out on his own if he wanted to. Gabriel had known better than that then, and he had proof now. 

"What the fuck is this?" He slammed the piece of paper down onto President Michael Novak's desk. 

His father blinked at him, unsurprised. "A piece of paper, son. I think you should be familiar."

"Oh, I'm familiar. Just as I know you're familiar with this specific piece of paper!" He barked. "Care to explain what's on it?"

"Words, Gabriel. I know you know English."

Gabriel had had it with his father's witless remarks. "Castiel has been kidnapped and you've known about it for three fucking days!"

"I assure you there's nothing wrong with that boy other than the incompetence and sinfulness he's always suffered from. He's dealing with a far worse stupidity now, however, if he thinks this con will work against me."

Gabriel gawked at his father's heartlessness. "How can you believe that? Your son is in danger; he could be killed. And you sit here worry free, happy that you've avoided some nonexistent scam only you could have imagined in the first place. How can you do this to him?"

His father gazed at him with the coldest eyes Gabriel had ever seen. "My sons are at a political rally in Texas and standing in front of me harping about some faggot that finally did this family a favor by ridding it of him. If he's really been kidnapped, then I can think of no better place for him to be." He finished with a finality that shook Gabriel to the core. After all these years, he could finally see just how brutal this bastard really was. 

"You are a hateful son of a bitch, and you will suffer. You have no son here."

Gabriel slammed the door on his way out. He knew he would be better off never seeing his father again, and he would make sure Castiel never had to either. All he had to do was withdraw the money the ransom note had specified from his father's accounts. He could save his brother, and then focus on bringing down the people that took him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so over due lol I’d like to apologize for who I am as a person.

Castiel seemed nervous as he exited his room to join Sam and Dean for dinner. Maybe he was reading into the sour mood Sam and Dean were emitting. Sam felt bad for putting the young man on edge, but it was hard to hide his temper. A week had passed since Dean had seen his ransom note to President Michael Novak. They had received no reply and there had been no media coverage.

Sam had mixed feelings. Of course, he was happy for Castiel to stay longer. Dean worries it only gave him more time to get attached; as if Sam were the only guilty party there, and as if they weren’t both well past “attached.” The lack of a response, however, blew a huge hole in their plan. Kidnappings were obviously more complicated than either of them had prepared for. Sam thought that they were probably doing pretty good, though, since they hadn’t actually prepared at all.

“Um, is everything okay?” Cas finally gathered the nerve to ask. He’d been bonding with his captors, and he felt like they were really getting close. Maybe it was him being overly optimistic, but he hoped Sam and Dean liked him as much as he liked them. The atmosphere tonight was a complete three-sixty from how they usually spent their dinners. Castiel could barely breathe in the thick air.

“It’s fine,” Dean insisted forcefully when it looked like Sam was opening his mouth to provide a real answer.

Sam paused to study his brother who pointedly avoided Sam’s gaze. Sam huffed and slid Cas his plate moodily before leaving the room. Cas tensed even more to be left alone in the face of Dean’s obvious anger. He’d never seen them upset, and he had no idea what had triggered the drastic change. He felt like he was responsible for some reason.

“I should...” He started hesitantly, pushing away from the table.

“You should eat.” Dean stopped him; the lack of anger in his voice was more surprising. “Sorry we’re snappy.” He grunted with no further explanation.

“Uh, it’s okay.” Cas’s eyes drifted from Dean’s stony expression down to the microwave pizza in front of him. It was a common meal, for sure. Any time Dean didn’t feel like cooking, Sam would pop one in the microwave. Just because he couldn’t operate the simplest oven and Dean was a lazy piece of shit, didn’t mean anyone needed to starve over it, Sam would say. Dean would growl and Sam would kiss his cheek playfully. Dean would roll his eyes and act annoyed, but Cas could always see the real happiness in his eyes. Cas wished they could be like that now. He wished he wouldn’t have messed everything up — whatever it was he did to mess it all up in the first place. He took a bite of his pizza. It tasted like cardboard in his mouth, and he knew he wouldn’t finish it.

Dean seemed to know, as well. “We sent a ransom note to your dad.” He supplies suddenly.

Cas’s stomach sank to the floor and he felt the single bite he’d taken lurch forward. “Oh.” Things were starting to make sense.

“A week ago.” Dean deadpanned.

“Oh,” Cas repeated dumbly.

“Yeah.” Dean studied him. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Cas wriggled in his seat uncomfortably, wishing the ground would swallow him up. “Not really. Disappointed, in a way, but no. Not surprised.” He couldn’t meet Dean’s intense gaze. “My dad would probably be happy to see me dead, to be honest. I knew this would happen. I’m sorry.”

Dean scoffed just as Sam re-entered the room. “You can’t actually be apologizing right now, right?” He shot disbelievingly.

Cas remained silent; he didn’t know what to say. As much as he dreaded returning home, deep down he had hoped his father would have at least placed some value on his life. To have confirmation that his dad didn’t even care about him on such a fundamental level hurt more than he would have thought.

He had more important things to worry about now, though. What was going to happen to him now? He was pretty sure it was safe to assume Sam and Dean wouldn’t actually hurt him, but that still didn’t reveal much about his future.

“What are you going to do with me, then?” Castiel asked bluntly. Dean finally looked up at his little brother. Sam looked every bit like a kicked puppy. Dean could relate.

“We haven’t discussed it yet.” Dean tried to answer stoically.

Castiel nodded forlornly and got up to leave. Dean didn’t stop him this time; he simply stared at the doorway the young man had just exited until he heard the quiet sound of a door closing as Castiel shut himself into his room.

“What are we going to do with him, Dean?” Sam’s voice disclosed the uncertainty the man was feeling. They were in the same boat, Dean knew. Neither of them had an inkling of a plan.

Dean pulled his mask off in frustration. Sam followed his lead and tossed it gently onto the table next to Castiel’s abandoned meal.

“I mean, we can’t send him back home. That much we know for sure, right?” Sam offered, as if that would spur Dean on into forming a solution.

“Of course not.” Dean agreed, wishing his brother’s wishful thinking ever worked. “Maybe we just take a drive... Set him up somewhere he’ll be safe. Let him take care of himself. Give him enough to get him on his feet until he can stand on his own.”

Sam looked doubtful. “We can’t just leave him by himself.”

“Why not?!” Dean snapped. “He’d already be better off than the way we found him!” His tone turned venomous much quicker than Sam was ready to brace himself for. “Just because you have a crush on him or some shit, does not mean he gets to just stay here! What, you think he’s gonna wanna stay, anyway? For you, is that it? We kidnapped him, Sam! Abducted! There ain’t no happily every after at the end of this!” He spat. “You don’t get to just run away with him and everything be all magically hunky-dory!” Dean turned away from his brother. Sam knew the anger was masking real pain and insecurity.

“Dean...” Sam said quietly, walking around the table to be closer to his brother. “You know I would never leave you.”

He waited for Dean’s shoulders to relax minutely before pulling him into a loose hug. Dean sank into him and his solid weight helped to ease the hurt his words had inflicted upon Sam. “And I know you don’t want him to leave, either.” He said softly.

Dean slumped even further. “It doesn’t matter. Why would he stay?”

Sam feared the same, be he had a gift for optimism that his brother always lacked. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe we drive him to California or wherever he wants to go. Maybe he’s happy all by himself and forgets all about us. But, maybe we give him the choice, yeah?”

***

Gabriel marched out of the police station in a fit of rage. He should’ve known they would be no help. They’d shrugged him off surely as his father had told them to. “The kid just got kicked out of school and barely avoided serious jail time for drug possession. You really expect us to believe he hasn’t just run and is trying to score some cash before he hits the road?”

Gabriel growled and kicked the tire of his car hard before climbing in and slamming the door. He knew his brother had been set up for the drug bust. He couldn’t find the proof he needed to clear Castiel’s name. He couldn’t get Castiel to confess his innocence either, but Gabe knew his brother wouldn’t have thrown away his shot at his dream school. Gabriel knew Castiel; knew he was in trouble now.

He would do what he had to to keep his brother safe. He pulled his car out of the parking lot and directed himself home. He didn’t know how long he had, but he would find Castiel himself if no one would help him.

Castiel’s room held none of the answers Gabriel had hoped it would. The room was bare except for the bed, a desk, and a large bookshelf. The only splash of his brother’s personality was the contents of the overflowing bookshelf. In a way, though, that in itself was all anyone would need to know about Castiel to begin with. That didn’t mean great things for Gabe’s investigation, however. 

He walked over to the neat desk, turned on the computer, and continued to examine the kid’s room as thoroughly as he could. Just as the device whirred to life, Gabe noticed a small slip of paper under the wheel of the desk chair. He stopped to pick it up quickly with every nerve on edge. 

The paper was a receipt for a library book due the same day he had last spoken to Castiel. Hope flared in Gabriel’s chest. This was something, and he was happy to take what he could get at this point. He raced to his car, and broke every traffic law known to man to get to the library. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how many chapters this is going to end up being, but kudos and comments inspire me :D


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